[Posted on October 2nd, 2013 by Cashion Dental]
// Your dentist in College Station TX is part of a long history of dental advances. Here in part 1 we will take a look at the interesting story of how oral care has evolved through the ages. Many of the most common dental tools were used as early as the Stone Age. Thankfully, technology and continuing education have made going to the dentist a much more pleasant – and painless – experience. Here are some of dentistry’s common tools, and how they came to be vital components of our oral health care needs.TOOTHBRUSHES AND TOOTHPASTEThe first toothbrushes were small sticks or twigs mashed at one end to create a broader cleaning surface. The Chinese lay claim to the first bristle toothbrush. Europe adopted the bristle brush in the 17th century, and many dentists practicing in colonial America advised their patients to use the brush. The first electric toothbrush was marketed in 1880, though the Swiss developed the first effective electric toothbrush just after World War II. It was introduced in the United States around 1960. A year later, the first cordless model was developed and proved to be popular with both consumers and dentists. Your Dentist in College Station TX has a great selection of toothbrushes.Toothpaste also saw its earliest form in ancient civilizations. Early toothpaste ingredients included powdered fruit, burnt or ground shells, talc, honey and dried flowers. Less agreeable ingredients included mice, rabbit heads, lizard livers and urine. Despite the decidedly non-minty flavor of early toothpaste, various recipes continued to appear throughout ancient history and well into the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, many of these toothpastes contained corrosive elements that dissolved tooth enamel.Toothpaste as we know it emerged in the 1800s, with ingredients that included soap and chalk. In 1892, the first collapsible tube was marketed and reigned supreme until 1984, when the pump dispenser was introduced. In 1956, Proctor & Gamble introduced Crest brand toothpaste with fluoride. Ask your dentist in College Station TX for a brand recommendation.FLUORIDATED WATERIn 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan introduced fluoride into their public water systems to help fight tooth decay among residents. At the same time, a group of Wisconsin-based dentists succeeded in getting the state's water system fluoridated. After substantial testing showed that fluoride reduced the incidence of cavities by as much as two-thirds, in 1951 the U.S. Public Health Service urged the entire country to fluoridate public drinking water.The idea for water fluoridation resulted from an observation made by a dentist from Colorado Springs, Colorado, in the early 1900s. Frederick McKay noticed that locals had brown stains on their teeth. He called the staining "enamel mottling" and attributed it to drinking water with high fluoride content. He reported that the locals had a reduced incidence of tooth decay. In 1940, another dentist revealed that one part fluoride per one million parts water was the ideal ratio for reducing decay while preventing staining. Soon after, fluoride gained acceptance, and today more than 60 percent of Americans have fluoridated water. Along with this, Cashion Dental, as your dentist in College Station TX, recommends washing your mouth with fluoride daily.
